Rubeor's 7 goals send Loyola past Calvert Hall, 13-12

Senior on serious upswing after car accident in July

Baird tallies game-winner

MIAA A Conference lacrosse

High Schools

Linda Rubeor wasn't quite sure her son, Ben, would return for his senior lacrosse season at Loyola after a car accident in July left his left arm broken in two places.

"Initially, the doctors thought he was fine, but in the fall, an infection developed in his bones," Linda Rubeor said. "He had to go through three more surgeries to clean it up, but they finally did. And when they told us he could play in January, we thought there's a possibility for a happy ending."

Rubeor's storybook season continued yesterday at St. Paul's as the All-Metro player's seven goals sparked a come-from-behind 13-12 victory over fifth-ranked Calvert Hall (11-5), ousting the defending Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference champion in their quarterfinal game.

Andrew Baird (one goal, two assists) scored the game-winner with 1:16 to play.

But Baird credited Rubeor for keeping the fourth-ranked Dons (12-3) in the game after Calvert Hall had used a 4-1 run to send the game to the first of five ties, turning a 6-3 halftime deficit into a 7-7 tie with 3:48 left in the third quarter.

The Cardinals had taken two one-goal leads when the University of Virginia-bound Rubeor tied the score at 10-10 and 11-11.

"We gave an unbelievable effort in this game, but we had to finish it off for Ben because he got us here," Baird said. "I've been playing this game with him all of my life, and I couldn't imagine him not being here. I mean, you saw him -- he just had a sick game."

The Dons earned a semifinal berth against No. 1 St. Paul's on Monday at 7 p.m. at Towson University.

"It was just an exciting atmosphere," said Rubeor, who had four goals and two assists in an earlier win over Calvert Hall. "I really didn't expect to play this year, but I had great doctors. I was just motivated to be out here with my teammates."

The loss ended what has been a spectacular career for Calvert Hall's Kevin Huntley.